'A little citrus and a little hop': Saskatoon ice cream connoisseurs veer off the beaten path

(Carla Shynkaruk / CTV News)

Having a cold one this summer might have a whole new meaning as one ice cream maker hops in a new direction.

Trying new ice cream flavours is nothing out of the ordinary, but the newest beer flavour available at an ice cream stand in Saskatoon sure is.

“It’s a New Zealand pale ale and we mix it with our vanilla ice cream, and it comes out with a really subtle nice flavour. That’s a little vanilla and a little citrus and a little hop,” said Scott Wegener, brand vice-president with Foothills Creamery.

Lt. Dan’s Ice Cream Shack in Bright is currently the only place in Saskatchewan serving the beer ice cream. The staff got a taste test, and it went over well.

Some customers got a preview too.

“I don’t taste much beer in it. It's got a nice taste. It's refreshing, I like it.” Patricia Roy said.

“It’s refreshing. I couldn't tell you if it tasted like beer because I’ve never tried it, but it’s really good,” Jordan Roy said.

“Does it taste like the smell of beer? Answer: no,” Roy said.

If your tastes tend toward the eclectic, there’s even more unique flavours to try in Saskatoon.

On the other side of the city, Homestead Ice Cream has carried dill pickle, and now, two more savoury flavours.

“So the two flavours we have is coconut curry and Chicago popcorn. The curry is a coconut base with curry in it and then the Chicago popcorn is a vanilla base with cheese, popcorn and caramel popcorn,” Hannah Papp said.

Staff tells us customers seem to like those the flavours.

“It’s actually surprising how many people get it, yeah,” said Homestead staffer Meg Topping. “We had, like, orders of 11 litres for both flavours.”

So that’s the scoop on some bold ice cream flavours to try this summer. Whether they’re your thing is very individual. Just ask 6-year-old Ali.

“I don’t really like it” — that’s her review on the beer flavoured ice cream.